Kicking doll

ABSTRACT

A kicking doll in which a system responsive to pressure exerted on the arms of the doll causes its legs to move from normal positions, which they occupy under the influence of gravity when the doll is erect or is lying on its back, toward resilient stops which define kicking limit positions intermediate the normal and sitting positions of the legs. The legs may be manually moved past the resilient stops to a sitting position determined by positive stops.

United StatesPatent [72] inventors Charles M. Hollingsworth West Columbia;

Witold W. Kosicki. Columbia, both of, S.C. [21] Appl. No. 822,486

[22] Filed May 7, 1969 [45] Patented July 27, 1971 [73] Assignee l'lorsman Dolls lnc.

Columbia, S.C.

[54] KICKING DOLL 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 46/44, 46/128 [51] Int. Cl A63h 3/04 [50] Field of Search .46/44, [28, 119

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,036,404 5/1962 Berger 46/119 X 3,154,881 11/1964 Elwell 46/119 UX Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner-Robert F. Cutting Anorney- Shenier and OConnor ABSTRACT: A kicking doll in which a system responsive to pressure exerted on the arms of the doll causes its legs to move from normal positions, which they occupy under the influence of gravity when the doll is erect or is lying on its back, toward resilient stops which define kicking limit positions intermediate the normal and sitting positions of the legs. The legs may be manually moved past the resilient stops to a sitting position determined by positive stops.

PATENTED JUL 2 H97! SHEET 2 OF 2 Ozarks/7H0 ///INVENTORS B5; 0 WW KICKING uou.

BACKGROUND oF THE INVENTION There are known in the prior art dolls having torsos with articulated legs and arms. Various dolls of the prior art are constructed to imitate certain actions of human babies. For example, the doll may be made to cry and may be made to laugh or smile. We have invented a doll which may be actuated to simulate the kicking of a human baby. Our doll is constructed to permit such kicking to be achieved in an extremely simple manner. The construction of the doll is such that the kicking action can be produced without preventing movement of the dolls legs to a sitting position. Our mechanism for producing the kicking action is simple in construction and in operation. The construction is rugged and relatively inexpensive for the result it produces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of our invention is to provide a doll which simulates the kicking action ofa human baby.

Another object of our invention is to provide a doll which may be actuated in a simple and natural manner to produce the kicking action.

A further object of our invention is to provide a kicking doll which is simple and rugged in construction.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a kicking doll which is a relatively inexpensive to construct.

A further object of our invention is to provide a doll with an actuatable kicking mechanism which will not prevent movement of the dolls legs to a sitting position.

Other and further objects of our invention will appear in the following description.

In general our invention contemplates the provision of a kicking doll in which a system responsive to squeezing pressure exerted on the dolls arms moves a leg of the doll from a normal position, to which it is moved by gravity when the doll is erect or lying on its back, to a kicking position against a resilient stop intermediate the normal position of the leg and a sitting position of the leg. The dolls legs may be moved beyond the resilient stops to sitting positions without disrupting the kicking mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings which form part of the in: stant specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of our kicking doll with the torso broken away.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of our kicking doll taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the rear of the operating system of our kicking doll.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings our doll indicated generally by the reference character has a torso 12 which may be molded out of any suitable material such for example as a semirigid synthetic resin such as a high density polyvinyl chloride resin or the like. We form the torso 12 with a neck socket l4, respective shoulder sockets l6 and 18 and with leg sockets 20 and 22. The head 24 of our doll 10 may be made in any manner known to the art. The head 24 is provided with a neck 26 the lower periphery of which has a retaining flange 28 adapted to be snapped into the neck socket 14 to hold the head 24 rotatably connected to the torso 12. We form the respective right and left arms 30 and 32 from a suitable resilient material such as a low density polyvinyl chloride which permits the arms to be squeezed, for a purpose which will be described hereinafter. and permits them to return to their normal condition after having been squeezed. Each of the arms 30 and 32 comprises a retaining flange 34 adapted to be snapped into the corresponding socket 16 or 18 rotatably to hold the arms 30 and 32 in position on the torso I2. We secure a respective blank flange 36 over each of the flanges 34 and in airtight relationship therewith by use of any suitable adhesive. The flange 36 secured to the right arm 30 carries a fitting 38 which receives a first length 40 of pneumatic tubing. Similarly, the flange 36 on the left arm 32 carries a fitting 42 which receives a length of tubing 44. From the structure just described it will be appreciated that when the right arm 30 is squeezed it drives a charge of air out of the arm and into the tubing 40. Similarly, squeezing of the left arm 32 drives a charge of air through the tubing 44.

Our doll 10 includes a right leg 46 and a left leg 48 each of which legs may be molded from a suitable synthetic resin such for example as that of which the torso is made. Each of the legs 46 and 48 is formed with an inner peripheral flange 50 which engages the inner edge of the associated socket 20 and 22 rotatably to hold the leg in place on the torso 12.

We use any suitable means such for example as fasteners 52 to secure a plate 54 to the inner end of leg 46. We attach another plate 54 to the inner end of the other leg 48.

We mount a supporting plate 56 formed of a material such as spring steel or the like within the torso 12 by any suitable means such for example as pins 58. The plate 56 carries respective bellows 60 and 62 which are formed from a relatively highly resilient material such as natural or synthetic rubber. We connect the hose or length of tubing 40 leading from arm 30 to a fitting 66 carried by plate 56 and leading to the inside of the bellows 62. We connect the length of tubing 44 leading from the leftarm 32 to a fitting 66 leading to the inside of the bellows 60.

We connect the end of the bellows 60 remote from plate 56 to a bracket 68 extending upwardly from the plate 54 on the right leg 46. Similarly, we connect the end of bellows 62 remote from plate 56 to an upright bracket 70 on the plate 54 carried by the left leg 48 of the doll.'

From the structure just described it will be appreciated that the bellows 60 and 62 are normally relaxed when the doll is held upright or when it is lying on its back with the legs in a I straight position to which they are urged by gravity. However, when the right arm 30 is squeezed a charge of air is forced through the tubing 40 to the bellows 62 to expand the bellows to drive leg 48 in the direction of the arrow shown thereon in FIG. 3. Similarly, when the left arm 32 is'squeezed a charge of air is forced through the tubing 44 to the interior of bellows 60 to expand the same and to cause the leg 46 to rotate in the direction of the arrow on its plate 54 in FIG. 3. We provide each of the plates 54 with respective stops 72 and 74. Plate 56 is so shaped and positioned as to provide respective resilient stops 76 and 78 located in the path of movement of the respective stops 72 and 74. When the legs rotate in the manner described above as the arms are actuated stops 72 and 74 engage the respective stops 76 and 78 at kicking" positions intermediate the straight position shown in full lines in FIG. 2 and a sitting position which is the other extreme position illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 2.

The construction of our kicking doll is such that there is no interference with movement of the dolls legs to the sitting position described above. To move the dolls legs into that position they may manually be rotated in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 3 to force the stops 72 and 74 past their associated resilient stops 76 and 78. We secure respective sitting position stops 80 and 82 to the back of plate 56 so as to be engaged by the stops 72 and 74 when the legs have been moved to the sitting positions just described.

In order to expedite deflation of the bellows 60 and 62 after they have been expanded to actuate the legs we provide each bellows with a small breather opening 84 at the end thereof. This breather opening also permits the arm to resume its original shape.

In the operation of our kicking doll arm 30 is squeezed to force a charge of air through tube 40 and into bellows 62 to move leg 48 to its kicking position. Similarly, when the left arm 32 is squeezed compressed air passes through tube 44 to the bellows 60 to expand that bellows to move the right leg to the kicking position. When both arms 30 and 32 are squeezed at the same time both of the legs will be moved to the kicking positions. When the arms are released, so long as the doll is erect or lying on its back, the legs will return under the influence of gravity to their normal positions, while the arms 30 and 32 resume their initial configurations. The legs 46 and 48 may easily be moved to the sitting position by rotating the legs to force the stops 72 and 74 past the resilient stops 76 and 78 and into engagement with the positive stops 80 and 82. To return the legsto their normal positions'thcy may be rotated in the reverse directions to move stops 72 and 74 back past stops 76 and 78.

It will be seen that we have accomplished the objects ot'our invention. We have provided a kicking doll which may be manually actuated in a simple and natural manner to cause either one or both of the legs to kick. Our doll simulates the kicking action ofa human baby. It is simple and rugged in construction. The actuatable kicking mechanism of our doll does not prevent movement of the dolls legs to a sitting position. The breather openings 84, which may be positioned in either of the tubes 40 or 44 if desired permit the expeditious resumption of the bellows 60 and 62 to their original positions. If desired, an air operated peep" sound may be emitted as is well known in the art upon the squeezing of one of either of the arms.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of our claims. it is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. An animated doll including in combination a torso, a leg,

means mounting said leg for pivotal movement on said torso, a hollow arm of resilient material carried by said body, said arm adapted to be deformed to compress air in said arm, an expansible bellows, means mounting said bellows within said torso at one end of the bellows, means connecting the other end of the bellows to said leg, and means for coupling compressed air from said arm to the interior of said bellows to simulate a kicking action of said leg in response to squeezing of said arm.

2. An animated doll as in claim 1 in which said leg is mounted on said torso for movement between a generally extended position and a sitting position, and resilient interengageable means on said leg and on said torso for stopping said leg in a position intermediate said extended and sitting positions. I

3. An animated doll as in claim 1 in which said bellows is provided with a breather opening.

4. An animated doll including in combination a torso, left and right resilient arms carried by said torso, a left leg, :1 right leg, respective means mounting aid legs for individual pivotal movement on said torso, first means responsive to squeezing of said right arm to pivot said left leg to simulate a kicking action thereof and second means responsive to squeezing of said left arm for pivoting said right leg to simulate a kicking action thereof.

5. An animated doll as in claim 4 in which said arms are hollow, and in which said means responsive to actuation of said arms comprises respective bellows, means mounting one end of each bellows on said torso, means connecting the other ends of said bellows respectively to said legs, and means providing communication between the interiors of said arms respectively and the interiors of said bellows.

6. An animated doll as in claim 4 in which legs are mounted on said torso for movement from generally straight positions through kicking positions to sitting positions, first resilient stops for li rniti n movement of said le s from said normal ositions to said he mg positions under t e action of said be ows and second positive stops for limiting movement of said legs from said kicking positions to said sitting positions. 

1. An animated doll including in combination a torso, a leg, means mounting said leg for pivotal movement on said torso, a hollow arm of resilient material carried by said body, said arm adapted to be deformed to compress air in said arm, an expansible bellows, means mounting said bellows within said torso at one end of the bellows, means connecting the other end of the bellows to said leg, and means for coupling compressed air from said arm to the interior of said bellows to simulate a kicking action of said leg in response to squeezing of said arm.
 2. An animated doll as in claim 1 in which said leg is mounted on said torso for movement between a generally extended position and a sitting position, and resilient interengageable means on said leg and on said torso for stopping said leg in a position intermediate said extended and sitting positions.
 3. An animated doll as in claim 1 in which said bellows is provided with a breather Opening.
 4. An animated doll including in combination a torso, left and right resilient arms carried by said torso, a left leg, a right leg, respective means mounting aid legs for individual pivotal movement on said torso, first means responsive to squeezing of said right arm to pivot said left leg to simulate a kicking action thereof and second means responsive to squeezing of said left arm for pivoting said right leg to simulate a kicking action thereof.
 5. An animated doll as in claim 4 in which said arms are hollow, and in which said means responsive to actuation of said arms comprises respective bellows, means mounting one end of each bellows on said torso, means connecting the other ends of said bellows respectively to said legs, and means providing communication between the interiors of said arms respectively and the interiors of said bellows.
 6. An animated doll as in claim 4 in which legs are mounted on said torso for movement from generally straight positions through kicking positions to sitting positions, first resilient stops for limiting movement of said legs from said normal positions to said kicking positions under the action of said bellows and second positive stops for limiting movement of said legs from said kicking positions to said sitting positions. 